AUSTRALIA
The West Australian
March 12, 2018
By Phoebe Wearne
About 3000 Commonwealth child migrants settled in WA after World War II are at the centre of an intensifying row between the State and Federal governments over redress for child sexual abuse victims.
With thousands of survivors expecting to be able to apply for redress across Australia from July 1, the Commonwealth is ramping up pressure on States, churches and institutions to join its national redress scheme, warning those who do not “will be judged harshly”.
Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter yesterday took aim at the WA Government over its reluctance to opt in until it receives more information.
But the criticism hit a nerve, with WA Attorney-General John Quigley questioning why Social Services Minister Dan Tehan is yet to respond to a December letter seeking clarification on key issues such as whether WA will be wholly responsible for compensating victims among the 2941 Commonwealth child migrants brought to WA.
“The Commonwealth brought thousands of child migrants to Australia after World War II, dumped most of them in WA and now washes its hands of all liability and says, ‘WA, you pay for those by yourself,” Mr Quigley said.
Mr Quigley also blasted Mr Porter’s role in handling a previous State-run redress scheme for victims of abuse in 2009.
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